CHAP. III.] 



ROMAN CAVALRY. 



61 



cavalry alone, who was engaged in the same duty.^ This 

 brought on the action of the Ticinus, which was the 

 first conflict between Hannibal and the Romans in Italy, 

 and is important not so much on account of the numbers 

 engaged as for the moral effect it produced, which was 

 felt long afterwards. 



Publius drew up his force in a single line most pro- 

 bably in turmae, with intervals between them. The 

 Gaulish allies were in the centre, the Roman cavalry on 

 the flanks.' In the spaces between the turmse, and in 

 the centre, the light armed infantry were placed to give 

 strength to the line. 



Hannibal drew up his heavy cavalry in single line, 

 most probably in troops or squadrons of sixty-four men 

 each, with intervals between them, and his force being 

 more numerous he was able to place his Numidian 

 cavalry upon the wings, so that they overlapped the 

 lines of his opponent. 



It can be seen at once that Scipio, having light armed 

 infantry intermixed with his cavalry, could not have 

 intended to make a very vigorous charge, but evidently 

 designed to act upon the defensive as much as possible, 

 and the light armed troops were not sufliicieutly armed 

 or stable in their formation to oppose any real resistance 

 to the cavalry, as strong bodies of heavy armed infantry 

 might. 



Hannibiii saw the weakness of this formation at a 

 glance. His chiefs and horsemen, impatient to open the 

 action, asked to be led on, and the order was given to 

 charge. There was no time for the light armed infantry 

 to harass them much.^ Polybius says, " They had scarcely 

 thrown their first darts, when, frightened by the Car- 

 thaginian cavalry who came upon them, afraid of being 

 trampled under the feet of the horses, they fled back 

 and escaped by the intervals between the squadrons." 

 The Roman horse also moved on to meet them, and a 

 close hand-to-hand struggle took place, many dismount- 

 ing and fighting on foot after the melee had commenced. 

 The Numidians swept around the flanks and fell upon 

 ' Folard'R Polybius, iv. 116. 2 ibid. 117. ^ Ibid. 116, 117, 118. 



